[mcholley1]

Sending you hugs, Melanie! Both of my kids woke up happy today….so pleased. Maybe the trappings of Christmas will be a good reset for your boys?

justsewit – good for you cutting out what you don’t need in your cupboard! Both of my boys have food allergies which is certainly inconvenient and expensive. But, in a way I think my family eats much healthier than we would without the restrictions. Processed foods, restaurants, and empty carbohydrates are just not an option for us. The soy only becomes a factor for the pies and such when you start looking at wheat free options.

[Masha Richart]

Mcholley, I have made the very pie you seek! I used ground almonds for the crust – just mix with melted butter and a little sugar if you want it sweet, then press into a pie plate and bake at 400 for 10 minutes before adding the filling. For filling, use your pumpkin pie filling (canned or from scratch), then substitute almond or coconut milk for the regular or condensed milk that most recipes call for in the filling. Works great!

Meleliza and mcholley, so glad to hear your boys are on the mend/ok.

[Tamara]

Oh Melanie, my eight year old is very sensitive to anything with blood and that could be the age maybe? I remember when they first saw their dad processing the roosters, they came home absolutely beside themselves. But it is amazing what resilience they have too in such situations. Phil was probably worried about what could have happened but also what else might happen with doctors visits and the such.

Chin up! (Pardon the pun) have a wonderful holiday time with your family – it is certainly one of gratitude thats for sure!

RTWG, How do you make pumkin pie? I have to bring and share something for the Christmas eve service tomorrow and thought wouldnt it be wonderful? I have almond meal so the base is good to go but what goes in the filling? Is there a link somewhere? I have a butternut pumpkin will that do?

Mcholley, it is part of a health kick/ get it right health wise plan. We have had family members this year and previously with huge health issues and we just decided after my sister was hospitalised earlier this year that we have to change and right now! It has helped enormously. The children in particular have benefitted although it doesn’t stop them from wanting the no sugar soft drinks. You would think that because we grow wheat we would actually eat the stuff but with all the information we have been reading/ receiving we have found out that wheat is one of those products that cause alot of illness, irritable bowel syndrome being one of them. It isnt that we suffer from them now but in the future we want to avoid them if we can so cutting out the highly processed foods, like bread and having say spelt bread (which goes dry very quick and isnt the great but is better for you) will help to reduce the chances of serious illness later on.

Good news the uninvited guests have decided not to come for Christmas after all so we get to have our immediate family only time after all.

Wishing you all a very wonderful time with family and friends.

[Masha Richart]

Tamara, here is a basic pumpkin pie recipe. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/suzannes_old_fashioned_pumpkin_pie/

I think a butternut squash would work fine. Almond meal isn’t the “traditional” pumpkin pie crust in the U.S. – many people use graham cracker crust (the closest thing in the UK is a digestive biscuit, I think, not sure whether they are common in Australia). You can also use a regular pate brisee pie crust.

You can certainly use milk or a non-dairy milk in place of the cream/evaporated milk – it will be less rich and might need to bake a little longer but it will still set up.

[meleliza]

Graham cracker? Really? I’ve never seen that. I always use pate brisee. I’ve tried a few pumpkins pie recipe pies over the years, but almost always use one from a Williams Sonoma catalogue form at least 10 years ago. It’s very rich and spicy, exactly how pumpkin pie should be. But I make it for Thanksgiving and almost never for Christmas. But Im pretty opinionated about pumpkin pie. It is my very very favorite thing ever and I like it to be done right. For Christmas this year, I’m making English style mince pies and a chocolate peppermint cake! That’s if I ever get the pjs finished.

Charlie is in good spirits and doing fine. Thanks everyone for the good wishes! Mcholly, I hope your son is cheering up too!

[Masha Richart]

Yes, really – I became the odd one among my friends and family when I switched to pate brisee!

[Sarvi]

I usually see graham cracker but like a pseudo-laminated dough myself.

[Tamara]

Thanks RTWG. I will have a look. I also googled and found some sugar free versions that use almond meal or another nut meal as the base. I also found a cheese cake version. So I will certainly have a go to bring one tonight.

The confusing thing Melanie, is that I thought it was a dish mainly for Thanksgiving and not Christmas. It sounds really yummy though so I am willing to break any rules to try one.

I usually buy Mr Kiplings fruit mince pies as they are the best. But next year I would love to make my own plum pudding and fruit mince pies. My late mil was a dab hand at all things fruit cake and plum pudding. Unfortunately I wasn’t in the mood to learn and now I regret that now. It is one of the many things we miss.

We went shopping yesterday and bought our joint Christmas present – a beautiful new and large dining setting. It is made of Tasmanian oak so is very heavy but it will be beautiful in the dining room. Unfortunately we had to order it so it won’t actually get here until mid to late January. Oh well! We might have to settle for tv dinners in the meantime – or sit outside!

[Nicole]

How lovely Tamara.

I will do my cooking this evening, I can never sleep Christmas Eve anyway.

[Tamara]

Thanks Nicole! Sleeping is after all what the afternoon on Christmas day is for.

The kids have asked me if Father Christmas texted to say he was still coming to our house or not. They want to camp out in the room where the Christmas tree is! I told them I had strict instructions to make sure they were tucked up in their beds!

Oh golly they try to pull a swift one and it gets trickier every year. Next year I will be able to lock the room so no one can go in until we are ALL ready to.

I still have wrapping to do. Nine times out of ten dh is snoring whilst I wrap and lay out the presents. But it will be a quiet day for us tomorrow so a rest will be plentiful for all.

Waiting for Murray to return from town so we can go clean the church and set up the Christmas tree there. We don’t have a wreath as mil did all that so I am going to improvise and just have a Christmas candle instead. Then it will be back home and cooking for tonight and tomorrow and making sure everything is order.

I think Christmas eve is one of the busiest days of the year.

[mcholley1]

I guess I should have been more specific… Pumpkin pie is on our thanksgiving as well. We camped for that holiday this year. The s’mores we had instead left a void, so I promised hubby one for Christmas dinner. Rtw girl… All ready with your genius recipie!

K is doing very well! He’s being very cooperative with wound care and is already back to trying to find new ways to make mischief. Little children heal so quickly!

We just joined family tonight.,,,a few days later than originally intended but in plenty of time to celebrate. There are lots of jokes, though. I had completely forgotten that we got a late start last Christmas also. Last year K had a collision with a shovel and had six stitches to put his upper lip back together on the 23 of Dec. I think next year we will just stay inside before he runs out of real estate on his handsome face!

[Tamara]

Oh don’t they ever! Even the bigger ones too! We had a tiny drama today when Imogen thought she had broken her finger. It was fine! With no doctor in town it would mean a trip to the nearest city for xrays!

I have made the pumpkin cheesecake http://wellnessmama.com/3351/pumpkin-cheesecake/ and I have the pumpkin pie currently in the oven http://www.lowcarbkitty.com/recipe-low-carb-pumpkin-pie/. I hope they taste alright and go down well as I have the last bit of pumpkin sitting there waiting its turn and both pie dishes are used up with these ones.

They look alright actually.

Aaaw! Poor K! Shovels hurt! So glad he is cooperating. Only doctors are said to be really bad patients.

I am waiting for my green oasis block to “sink” so that I can put it back in the dish and start on this candle wreath. Like I said it isn’t wreath like but it will do a d I plan to use left over baubles as colour to make it more festive looking.

Wishing you all a very happy festive season with those you are closest to.

xT

[Nicole]

2kg of smoked cod made into kedgeree for breakfast. I am glad I have a huge bi-fold door at the front of my house so I can air it out.

Next up, chocolate gravy for the (purchased) croissants.

[Masha Richart]

Being a lover of smoked fish, but wholly unfamiliar with kedgeree, I looked it up. That sounds delicious! I think I will have to try to make it soon. Is it in any way tied to Christmas, or just the breakfast of the year?

[Nicole]

I always make it for Christmas and Easter. I would make it more often but with all the butter and cream we would not be able to fit in our trousers!

I have prepped my salads (the dressings are made and ready to be added before serving) the fruit platters are cut, the nibbles made and sorted.

The champagne is chilling as is the juice for Buck’s Fizz for our breakfast guests.

All I need to do is stuff the stockings and then I can go to bed.

Merry Christmas Dear Friends!

xxx Nicole.